Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (March 12th - 20th) ***Tour Blog***

Welcome to Sweet Illusions!For the next 10 days, I will be using this blogspot as a webspace to document my travels through the South (South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, & Georgia) as The Cardinals finish out what could be their last tour ever.Check back regularly for setlists, tour updates, general commentary, bar stories, and other tales from the road...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Minglewood Hall - Memphis, TN

Memphis Meltdown ... kind of. It was like a hearty turkey melt with not enough condiments. Personally, I was in it and fully taking the vibe-age from song 1; I loved the switch up with a Let it Ride opener. The first 6 songs were crusher good, above average, wham-bam cuts. I loved Peaceful Valley yet again - it has become my favorite song of the tour. Which is weird. I still can't even stomach the glory that was the Louisville "PV". It was so sick, I feel sick thinking about the sickness. Tonight's "Peaceful V" got me going too - it needs to stay a constant as we move toward ATL.

However, Evergreen was just ok and from there I felt the awkward electricity. It didn't surge well with the people who cared, that is the ones that weren't talking like they had fog horns attached to their uppers and bottoms. And once the first so called "set" broke, I became more inerested in the people I've met so far than even the music.

Easy Plateau was pretty good as it went on. I guess the towell was just thrown hard on this one. I hate to see a tension like this between so many great musicians, but it needs to get straightened out for the remaining two shows. I talked to people from the friggin' United Kingdom tonight and if anything they deserve a moderate show, so do the ones I met from Fargo or Maine. People are traveling far and wide to celebrate this band. It's a gut wrenching bummer when this shit doesn't pan out.

The thing is, I have the faith that it was just a mixture of the elements and the show tomorrow will trump this one hard. Fingers crossed.

The "Drunk Asshole Award" goes to the entire crowd tonight. I felt like I was at a sorority formal pre-game party (with expensive beers) for the majority of the night.

2 comments:

Memphis sounds like it was an awkward night. I appreciate your fabulous efforts in documenting the tour. I'll be in Bama around 3 traveling from NOLA then to the ATL gig. Would love to kick it with you along your travels, email me at cjnichol@loyno.edu . I got an Iphone so I'll be updated by the minute. My GF and I will also be wearing Cold Roses on our gear so keep an eye out. Until tomorrow safe travels,

PS thanks for the Twitter updates they have gotten me through work the past couple of nights

Awesome, thanks so much! Unfortunately I slept horribly and I need to ge at least another hour in or I'll crash my car. I may even have to park and walk right in once I get there, so not much time to chill. But ATL 100%! I'll email you soon.